Matter & Energy

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VACUUM ATTRACTION Fleeting electromagnetic waves nudge parallel plates together through a phenomenon called the Casimir effect, illustrated here. If the same thing works with gravitational waves, it could prove the existence of particles that transmit gravity.

TAKING THE BAIT In an iron (FE) nanoparticle (blue) with an iron hydroxide shell containing oxygen (O, green), uranium (U, red) first takes the bait created by the shell and then is trapped inside the solid iron core.

Adapted with permission from L. Ling and W. Zhang/Journal of the American Chemical Society 2015

SMALL WONDER Ross Kelly purchased this thermometer in Switzerland and displays it online.